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If you don’t look too hard

Here I am, four days until deadline on the ornaments, with 11 to go (don’t panic early. I think I’m fine) and I snapped. I think there’s something about knitting tiny, teeny little things that just gets to you after a while. Last night I was just about moved to tears during the making of an itty bitty candy cane, and that maybe explains these.

It’s a quick pair of Super-Bulky Fingerless Mitts, and I knit them out of a skein of Super Soft Merino (very, very aptly named) that I’ve had kicking around for a while. These bad boys took about five minutes to knit. I sneezed and they fell off the needles.

While five minutes may be the tiniest bit of an exaggeration, there’s no way they took more than two hours. I started them on my way downtown to a meeting, knit only a tiny bit during the meeting, and finished them up when I got home. Two subway rides, a ten minutes walk and a cup of tea. That’s how long they took, and they’re a perfect foil for itty-bitty things on itty-bitty needles. They’re a Christmas present too, so I feel like I still got something done. I have a real sense of calm about this Christmas – which might mean I’m delusional rather than ahead of the game, but I’m worrying about it in four days.

I followed the pattern as written, with one little exception. I made the hand a little longer (it is so cold here) and finished with two rows of ribbing. I like it better.

It’s a good thing that I don’t have any more of this yarn, or I think I’d be tempted to pound out another seventeen few pairs. One skein, two hours, one present. What’s not to love?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to figure out if I can knit a tiny truck. Can you?

A truck is just a cube with buttons for wheels and the top of one side white for the windshield. Okay, side windows as well. Red = fire truck. Or you could make it a VW van with a V of white on the front… To make a plane, just add wings! Boat, stick a sail on it.

I have been knitting Totoro mittens and realize my floats are tight. Argh I am still making them though. It’s a live and learn deal and I am trying to make looser floats for the rest of the mittens. When I can’t take following the pattern anymore I also make fingerless mitts. Very similar to yours. The pattern lives in my head and when I need a break, I knock out a mitt. I work at a school that is not well heated and last year about a dozen people got mitts for their cold hands. Just mitts, given with love, and out of the blue. People thought I was genius. Little do I know, it’s how I relax.

Getting ready: popcorn, wine, maybe some hard cider. I’m betting on delusional as opposed to prepared/ready. I always enjoy the blog and so appreciate the YH’s mad rush across the finish, just in time.

Well, no, I don’t think I could knit a truck, of any size. But I’ve made lots of handwarmers, and they definitely are quick to make. And after the first few pairs, I started doing the ribbing too. I learned how to do cables while making handwarmers. I also learned that even though they knit up quickly, that does not, alas, mean that I am becoming a faster knitter.

Bless you for the perfect inspiration for one person on my list who simply had me stumped. He fishes – surely he could enjoy some cozy fingerless mitts! I’ll make them out of something readily washable but still wool. And definitely not white!
Here’s to a smooth slide to Christmas………. Your advent calendar is going to be AMAZEBALLS. And I don’t use that term loosely! or ever, actually…

I’m almost certain I don’t want to knit a truck. Whether or not I could, I don’t know! I love the mittens! The yarn looks cosy. 🙂 I hope we get to see the teeny tiny things all finished! Especially the truck. Please?

Been doing a bunch of teeny little socks to fill with Hershey’s kisses and give to friends. I have the pattern memorized and they are practically knitting themselves. Love the mitts! I think I may need a pair for myself.

Saw your tweets about Ferguson… I live in St. Louis and just wanted to assure you and the wonderful knitters in your vast knitting universe that most of the people in our wider community are decent, law-abiding people who, if we are out protesting, are protesting peacefully. I have gotten so many worried phone calls, texts, Facebook inquiries, etc., expressing concern and horror – and while I appreciate the concern, I also want people to realize that we are NO DIFFERENT than the rest of America. Which is sad, and also means that we have problems that need addressing. But it also means that Ferguson, a place I work just a couple of miles away from, is just like so many other middle-class and working-class suburbs in America – it is not a scary slum full of unusually angry, violent people. I am uncomfortable with the ugly image of Ferguson being broadcast to the world. The vast majority of people here are hoping for peaceful change; some are doing things like painting murals on the plywood that covers the windows smashed out in Monday night’s looting, holding candlelight vigils on their front porches, planning more peaceful protests, and praying for a fairer, more just future. That is what I am thinking about here on Thanksgiving Eve as I bake my pies and feel grateful for my friends and family who will gather tomorrow.

Been through St Louis by bus crossing America; would have loved to stay for a while since the people were warm and friendly. While we can understand that people may get frustrated to the point of rage by systemic problems so clearly in need of repair, and are saddened by events which illuminate just how fed up people can become about issues that do not seem to end, you have a whole lot of sympathy from those of us who do believe all this can be bettered with good will and openness to each other’s humanity. Peace; may it come to us all.

I commented on your wee hat IG photo wondering if you knew about Teeny Tiny MochiMochi by Anna Hrachovek. I think the little objects would be just right in the calendar pockets. there is not a truck but there is a sailboat! now that the number of days is dwindling, I just wanted to leave another note about the tinies to be sure you saw it.

You have so many online friends who would love to help you with your Advent Calendar project. Tell us the dimensions and where to mail them. I could make a tiny cactus with a string of lights from Texas.